Youth poverty increasing locally

LANSING — Child poverty in Branch County has increased 52 percent since 2005 compared with a statewide jump of 28 percent, according to the latest Kids Count Michigan Data Book.

The book was issued Thursday.

The rate of young children in the county qualifying for food assistance increased 33 percent, compared with a statewide increase of 55 percent. The period covered in the book is generally 2005 to 2011.

Branch County ranked 71st of 82 counties for overall child well-being using 13 of 15 indicators.

"We clearly see a connection between higher-income communities and better outcomes for kids, but even in more affluent counties, child poverty and the need for food assistance jumped dramatically,’’ said Jane Zehnder-Merrell, Kids Count in Michigan project director at the Michigan League for Public Policy. "No area of the state escaped worsening conditions for children when it comes to economic security."

Branch Intermediate School District superintendent Joe Lopez noted, "Not graduating high school and having a child before marriage — almost 100 percent end up in poverty."

Early Childhood Education Director Linda George said, "It has been this way for years. That is one reason we target young mothers for Head Start" and other early education programs.

Asked why the numbers continue to be high, George suggested "it is short term thinking" by those 15, 16, and 17 years old.

Teen pregnancy rates in Branch County until 2010 have been 20 percent higher than the state average. A third of those teens were under age 18. Last year in Branch County 37 percent of households were headed by women compared to 31 percent statewide. In 2010 42 percent of households were headed by unmarried women.

In Branch County 27 percent of all households earned under $25,000 a year and of the total households, 35 percent of those who headed them lacked a high school diploma.

The rate of confirmed victims of abuse and neglect, linked to poverty, increased by a startling 91 percent in the county compared with a statewide increase of 28 percent.

The county's lowest ranking was 81 of 82 counties in the rate of confirmed victims of maltreatment, with 40 victims per 1,000 children compared with 14 victims per 1,000 children statewide.

Retired Probate Judge Fred Wood had linked the high numbers to the lossof close cooperation between local police agencies, local health officials and local child protective service workers. He noted in spring last year when the state went to to a central 800-number hotline the number of reported local abuse cases dropped dramatically, causing him concern.

Statewide, the biggest improvements were the decline of kids in foster care, decreasing from 17,000 in 2005 to 11,000 in 2011, and a drop in fourth-graders not proficient in reading from 40 percent to 32 percent of test-takers in the Michigan Educational Assessment Program.

George said a review of those students who completed Head Start showed 35 percent proficiency while those in the Great Start School readiness program had a 55 percent proficiency.

Page 2 of 2 - Branch County's best ranking is 9th of 81 counties in low-birthweight babies. Roughly 6 percent of babies in the county were born too small, compared with 8.5 percent statewide. Both BISD and the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Counties Community Health Agency have programs for expectant mothers.